1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to grid type suspended ceiling systems used in modern buildings, specifically to apparatus used in the nonstructural mounting of electrical junction boxes employed in the installation of electrical outlets, security cameras, exit signs, emergency lighting, and ceiling fans.
2. Background Information
Many modern buildings have grid type suspended ceilings consisting of insertable and removable ceiling tiles supported by spaced, inverted, t-shaped grid elements. In such ceilings, the mounting of electrical junction boxes is required when installing electrical outlets, security cameras, exit signs, emergency lighting, and ceiling fans. The grid elements of such ceilings do not provide a means for attaching and supporting junction boxes and additional apparatus must be employed for attaching and supporting such junction boxes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,693 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,889 to LoNigro, and also U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,657 to Schuplin, discloses apparatus consisting of a metal supporting bar which bridges the space between a pair of inverted t-shaped grid elements of a grid type suspended ceiling, and which provides a clip to secure a single junction box to the metal supporting bar. The installation of the metal supporting bar, clip and junction box in a grid type suspended ceiling requires a precise hole to be cut in the ceiling tile which matches the outline of the junction box, and also requires the adjustment of the metal supporting bar, clip and junction box, such that the junction box is aligned with the hole cut in the ceiling tile.
All of the apparatus heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages:
(a) Apparatus in present use are limited to supporting a single junction box per metal supporting bar, and the installation of such apparatus and junction box in a suspended ceiling is time consuming, particularly when one must install several apparatus in order to accommodate several electrical devices.
(b) The wiring and attachment of an electrical device to a junction box mounted with such apparatus, requires great effort, since only after such apparatus and junction box is installed in a suspended ceiling, can one wire and attach an electrical device.
(c) Apparatus in present use are unable to provide a balanced means for attaching and supporting a junction box used when installing heavier electrical devices such as ceiling fans or security cameras in a grid type suspended ceiling. Such apparatus fails to support the weight, since it does not provide a balanced means for attaching to the building's structural members that reside above a suspended ceiling.